I have a business trip coming up in August and I need a good carry-on bag that will hold a 15" laptop, a few shirts and a couple pairs of slacks. Also, affordable (under $100, preferably).
Backpack, no cross body bags.
Anyone have any links they could drop to a nice, reliable bag?
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I use photographer's tactical backpack, with all sort of molle attackments, build in raincover etc. Its a hardshell to protect laptop and valuable electronics. This is probably not the one you are looking for.
i can check the models of a backpacks which i get as promo at gamecons
I’ve got a molle 3-day pack as my go bag but it’s quite a bit bigger than I need for a carryon. Hardshell would be a bonus for me though
I use a Quechua backpack, I think its the mid size, from sport retailer Decathlon (my model I don't think it's on sale anymore but the series it's still up); never had a problem and being a sport backpack can fit quite some stuff in there, laptop included. And back in the day, it came with a rain cover included.
i think they closed all Decathlons in states back in 2022
Yeah Sturmer is right, looks like those are only available used/from consignment shops unfortunately :\
Ah, well, the concept stays: you can try looking into mountain hiking/sports backpack from whichever shops you have in the US. Albeit yes, it's not a specific model suggestion.
I’ve got a hiking backpack I’m just not sure about how airports are these days. I’m thinking hard shell, set dimensions that I can verify the TSA accept. I’m a nervous mess when I just have to go anywhere without my dogs so I’m like, hellbent on making sure I have no issues at the airport lol
I understand the feeling.
My backpack is around 48 x 18 x 15 cm in size, centimeter more or less.
I checked with a ruler that the size of the backpack when full was, more or less, in line with the sizes of carry-on baggage of the airlines I flew with to be sure I didn't go "too much" overboard. I saw that at the boarding they checked that the bag fit their "rectangular slot", but it like happened once or twice? And a backpack can be compressed so, as long as the laptop which is the thing you cannot compress is below the width and height listed by the airline, you should be good.
I flew with both flag airlines and low costs between EU, UK and Canada and I never had troubles in regard to the size of the backpack, neither with the airlines nor with the security controls.
That helps quite a bit, friend. Thank you!
https://www.uniqlo.com/uk/en/product/utility-two-way-bag-468504COL09SIZ999000.html
Literally just picked this up for my partner. It's on sale right now for £20.00 - so you won't even need to break the bank for trying it out. Incredibly versatile so if you didn't want a back pack you can make it a tote/ sling over one shoulder. It's really big too - I regularly travel with an old Apple 13" Macbook Pro and HP Elitebook+ chargers (i.e. pretty bulky laptop wise) and it fits them with more space available!
Below is also a decent review of the bag and it's utilities
Have you ever flown with it? I haven’t flown for about five years and I’ll lie down and die if I go to the airport and they say the bag doesn’t meet the standard lol
It'll definitely be suitable for hand luggage. It's pretty flexible so you can adjust the dimensions as needs be.
When I flown with RyanAir like 5 years ago I was also para about luggage dimensions and I think I was flying with one that didn't quite meet spec. They're not anal about it though.. - as long as it doesn't look like you're trying to pass off a check bag as hand luggage you should be fine
Oh I might try this out. I hate backpacks as they are a pain in the backside on crowded trains and I prefer to have wallet and stuff available (until they make ladies jeans with actual pockets... Or you know... Skirts and dresses with pockets...)
And so far I couldn't find one which would not break under the weight of a laptop and have enough space for a lunchbox in it too.
Pockets have been gender coded for too long. Let the convenience of pockets be claimed by the matriarchy!
This might creep a little out of budget (depending on your location and sales) but Nordace does really great backpacks for travel, wearing comfortably, lots of pockets and keeping a laptop safe.
My main travel backpack is the Lowepro ProTactic 450 AW II. I love it because it's very rigid and cushioned, and I can modify it depending on the cameras I'm taking. Usually, I carry a full-frame camera, two lenses (one of them telephoto), a 360-camera, various chargers, wires, batteries, and an Asus ultrabook (14"). The laptop compartment is limited, I cant squeeze in my 15,6" gaming laptop, so make sure to check the specs on the official site. I also have a few slots left to roll several t-shirts and other bits (yes, I roll all my clothes hehe).
On the outer shell, I attach a bottle holder, tripod, and various selfie sticks (including an extendable 3m pole) via MOLLE attachments. The reasons I love it are its versatility, built-in rain cover, and detachable belt thingy, which includes several MOLLE attachments and zip pockets. I usually walk around with it when on-site, leaving the main backpack in press rooms or hotels.
Another alternative could be the Lowepro Flipside BP 400 AW III. It’s quite similar to the budget Chinese backpacks that many publishers give out as merch. I have one from Bioware that has served me well for three years, and yes, it can hold any gaming laptop.
TDLR: since you have plenty of time before the trip, i'd go with this 15$ backpack or similar alternative and see if it can hold all you need.
Damn! Thorough! Question: does the ProTactic have the same alterable Velcro dividers as the Flipside BP? Cause if so, I could TOTALLY make that work (despite it being twice my ideal budget lol)
Sadly I do not have Flipside, but it looks like you can move around inner walls, otherwise, it's kinda pointless for photographers.
But I recommend you to watch youtube or something. As for budget, I think there were several Lowepro's knockoffs at amazon/aliexpress, for like 1/3 the price.
Is Aliexpress legit? Because it looks like it will steal my payment info and then my kidneys. Like, both of them.
well, i even got their stocks lol, but you can get the same thing from the same seller for like +30% on Amazon or ebay and utilize paypal protection.
generally, I prefer single-use auto-throwaway credit cards
That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement lol
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